1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method and apparatus for preparing for the removal of meat from the extremities of slaughtered animals, particularly the legs of poultry, which have been separated for the carcass in the region of the body joint.
2. Prior Art
An apparatus for detaching meat from the upper and lower legs of poultry is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,881. This apparatus comprises a first apparatus portion for cutting open the meat along one side of the upper and lower leg. The processing step carried out with this apparatus serves as preparation for removing the meat from the leg bone. To this end, the distal end or the knuckle of a leg is held in a clamp and, while supported on its inner flank, is fed lengthways to a cutting station having a fixed knife with a transverse end cutting plier and a knife oscillating parallel thereto. The fixed knife is controllably inserted into the meat in the region of the clamp adjacent the lower leg bone and, by virtue of the advancing motion of the leg, moved along the rear side of the bone structure, while the oscillating knife is intended to cut open the flesh along the length of the bone structure.
The guiding of the knife in the exact manner required is practically not possible, particularly in the region of the knee joint, as here both tendons, which inevitably have to be severed, and soft cartilage are embedded in the muscle, so that the knife lacks orientation. It is thus unavoidable that the cartilage is frequently nicked or scraped off and that these parts subsequently have to be removed from the meat by costly trimming work. Furthermore, this known device is very complex and expensive and requires highly qualified personnel for maintaining its operation.
3. Objects of the Invention
An object of the present invention is thus to remove the flesh parts surrounding the bone structure in such a way that practically no subsequent trimming work is necessary.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for removing the flesh parts surrounding the bone structure wherein the functional steps are substantially simplified.
A still further important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for removing the flesh parts surrounding the bone structure having a greatly simplified construction compared to prior art devices.